Cops shoot man after 5-hour standoff in Englewood

May 26, 2010

A man who barricaded himself in the second-floor apartment of an Englewood two-flat was shot by police after a standoff of about five hours that started with U.S. Marshals and Chicago police investigating escalating threats against the man's former employer, police said.

A SWAT team was on the scene this morning as police tried to negotiate with a man who barricaded himself in the second-floor apartment of an Englewood two-flat. (Terrence Antonio James/Tribune)

The police Crisis Intervention Team and U.S. Marshals went to a home in the 6400 block of South Bishop Street about 9:30 a.m. to investigate "an escalating series of threats" related to the man's former employer, according to a police news release. It was not believed anyone was in the apartment with him, police said.

When police arrived, the man threatened police with a large knife, then barricaded himself in his bedroom, according to the release. A Chicago SWAT team was called in, and after negotiations failed to bring the man out, police first used pepper spray and then a Taser on the man, who was still armed with the knife, police said.

The man then lunged at police with the knife and was shot, according to the release.

Officers fired shots and injured the man about 2:45 p.m., according to police News Affairs. He was taken to Stroger Hospital for treatment, according to police.

Police had initially said the man appeared to be mentally unstable.

Investigators from the Independent Police Review Authority were investigating, a spokesman for the agency said.